Page 7 of A Duchess Bound
“Offended by what, Your Grace?” she asked.
He strode leisurely toward her, as though he had no cause to worry. “By your cruel assessment of my character,” the duke said. “Arake.”
Dorothy straightened her spine. “I am only trying to protect my sister,” she said coolly. “I would think that beyond reproach, Your Grace. My sister deserves better than a rake.”
“Is that so? I would think that your sister deserves a man who knows how to give her precisely what she wants.”
Warmth flooded Dorothy’s face. Although she had never once engaged in any amorous encounter, she caught his meaning well enough. “How can you know what my sister wants?” she asked. “You have only just met her.”
“Experience. I know what women desire of men,” he said, his voice going low and husky. “I know all the places to touch her and all the little sounds she will make when in my thrall.”
“You are a vulgar man!”
“I am anhonestman.”
Dorothy clenched her jaw. “As if that is some prize! One can be honest without being vulgar, Your Grace.”
“You are the one who has condemned me as vulgar,” he argued. “Perhaps, the fault lies with you, rather than with me.”
“Do you imagine you have won the argument with that feeble, rhetorical trick?” she scoffed. “Besides, you are not honest. You lie to young ladies, pretending to be a respectable man.”
The Duke of Greenway shook his head. “What a cruel accusation.” He nearly purred the words. “Is it my fault that young ladies arewillingto enjoy the pleasures of the flesh? You act as though I force them, my lady, and that is untrue.”
Dorothy tipped her chin up, gazing at him with all the fiery defiance that she could muster. “You take advantage of them. You make promises of them that you do not intend to keep.”
“How do you know? Do you have some experience with rakes?”
He took a step toward her, and Dorothy became suddenly aware of how close they were. His Grace was near enough for her to feel the warmth of his body, and his presence settled over her shoulders like a cloak. It was too dark to properly see his expression, but still, the sharp intensity of his eyes sent a shiver coursing through her body.
“No,” she said. “I am a respectable woman.”
“What respectable woman allows herself to be alone with a rake?” he asked, gesturing about them.
She clenched her teeth together. “That is unfair. I was alone when I came into the gardens, andyouwere the one who decided to join an unaccompanied woman against her own wishes.”
“Do you think this little of yourownbrother?”
Dorothy dug her nails into the palms of her hands, her mind awhirl with the sudden urge to strike him. It was a predictable response, of course, for a rake could not be trusted to debate fairly. Still, the remark struck far more strongly than she wanted to admit.
“My brother is nothing like you.”
“Is that so? From the rumors I have heard about him, he sounds exactly like me.”
“Careful,” Dorothy said. “If Elias hears you say that, he may demand satisfaction.”
“Will he? And potentially leave his poor sisters alone in the world?” His Grace sighed theatrically. “I suppose Sarsen would care for you, though. It is fortunate that your other sister is already wed.”
Dorothy’s breath quickened, and he took another step toward her. She could see more of his expression, then. His lips twitched in amusement, and his eyes gleamed, as though he found her distress to be the most entertaining thing in the world.
“How dare you?” she whispered.
“How dare I speak truthfully? I thought that was what you wanted.”
A lump rose in her throat. He was a rake, and she doubted his arguments had articulated anything reasonable. Still, she found her thoughts scattered and could think of no suitable defense against his words. She took a shuddering breath.
“You are a despicable man,” she said.
He tilted his head, considering her. “Am I, my lady?”
